David Hutton convinced Dunfermline can turn around fortunes after luckless penalty hat-trick

DAVID Hutton tried everything to bring Dunfermline luck as they paid the penalty last weekend – but is convinced their fortunes will turn.

The Pars keeper watched on in astonishment from the other end of East End Park as Dundee United counterpart Cammy Bell beat away spot-kicks from Gavin Reilly and Nicky Clark, and he decided to look the other way when Paul McMullan stepped up to take their third.

When Bell pulled off a stunning hat-trick of saves, Hutton admits he was ‘raging’ but left full of admiration for his opposite number in the wake of the Fifers’ 3-1 defeat.

He said: “I have never seen anything like it in my career. Credit to Cammy because he did really well saving the penalties.

“But at the third one I was actually hanging onto the post looking at our fans. I had watched the first two but thought, ‘I’ve got to do something different here’.

“I just couldn’t watch but then I saw the fans going a bit nuts.

“It didn’t work for me and I’m not sure what I’ll do the next time we get a penalty – maybe run down the tunnel!

“I don’t think I’ve seen three penalties in one game let alone anyone saving them – it just wasn’t meant to be for us last week.”

DEFINITELY TURN

Dunfermline have now won only one match in the Championship – their opening-day victory over Dumbarton – since making the step-up as League One champions, with defeats to Hibs, Queen of the South, Raith Rovers and United making it a tough re-introduction to the second tier.

However, Hutton, who has relished being an ever-present this season in the absence of the injured Sean Murdoch, firmly believes there is not too much wrong.

He added: “I think we have been playing really well. I am sure it is going to turn and we can get a result then go on a wee run.

“It seems we make a small error and we are getting punished for it. No disrespect to last season’s teams but they weren’t hurting us if we made a mistake.

“Now though we are up against better teams and players, and we have paid the price.

“But we are not far off it. It will definitely turn – hopefully with three points against Morton.”